In this contribution, we want to share the experiences we had in a project that aimed at helping students select their own learning paths. Learning paths were a specific sequence of "edublocks" (learning activities) first-year students at the University of Barcelona could choose in a course: "Uses, possibilities and limits of…

Ask Dr. Discovery is an NSF-funded study addressing the need for ongoing, large-scale museum evaluation while investigating new ways to encourage museum visitors to engage deeply with museum content. To realize these aims, we are developing and implementing a mobile app with two parts: (1) a front-end virtual scientist called Dr. Discovery (Dr. D)…

The widespread growth in availability and use of smartphones and tablets has facilitated an unprecedented avalanche of new software applications with language learning and teaching capabilities. However, little has been published in terms of effective design and evaluation of language learning apps. This article reviews current research about the…

The proliferation of mobile technologies and apps raises questions for researchers in the field of educational technology. Many apps are marketed as having impact on learning or therapeutic outcome in populations with additional support needs. This paper briefly outlines three possible academic responses to the rise of therapeutic technologies for…

School districts across the country are increasingly seeking out digital tools to support the work of educators, in the hopes of improving students' academic achievement. With the rapid emergence of this new market, many districts have been challenged by the task of identifying and procuring educational technology (ed-tech) products that match the…

The e-portfolio phenomenon has been likened to a massive technology wave hitting the wide beaches of higher education (Ayala, 2006). A review of the literature suggests that this wave might change the landscape of the beach, washing away existing landmarks and creating a new topography. Moreover, the claims of a beneficial impact on students and…

Among other services, the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory contracts with local school districts, state departments of education, social service agencies, colleges, universities, and other organizations to provide roughly 90 third-party evaluations per year of projects funded through such sources as Elementary and Secondary Education Act…

Describes uses of computer simulations for the context of human service program evaluation. Presents simple mathematical models for most commonly used human service outcome evaluation designs (pretest-posttest randomized experiment, pretest-posttest nonequivalent groups design, and regression-discontinuity design). Translates models into single…

Because it was financially impossible to put a microcomputer center at each of nine Chapter I-funded elementary schools in the Modesto (California) City Schools, a remodeled school bus was converted into a mobile computing center. Objectives of the "Compubus" program and evaluation of the first year are discussed. (JN)

To dissolve much of the confusion surrounding videotex and teletext, and the respective merits of these emerging technologies for education, the Annenberg Foundation joined with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to conduct controlled comparison tests. Results of the project are described. (JN)

A computer-assisted method of counseling was applied to cases of stuttering and hypertension. Although both symptom complexes had previously resisted therapy, results indicated that computer-assisted counseling eliminated the stuttering and reduced diastolic blood pressure to normal levels. (Author)

An example of the application of microcomputers to education, described in this paper, indicates the possibilities for their widespread use. Forecasters claim that microcomputers will be acquired by more and more individuals and families in the 1980s. This implies that schools will also make greater use of microcomputers, in computer-assisted…

Describes the five-year educational program at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health that teaches utilization of a computerized Medical Information System for documenting the nursing process. (CT)

This report describes MODIA (a Method of Designing Instructional Alternatives), and assesses its utility for planning instruction. MODIA is a computer-based interactive program that helps planners construct a blueprint of instruction, analyze the operation of the instruction, and estimate its cost. It was developed for the Air Force Air Training…

Evaluation, defined as "the systematic collection and analysis of information to aid in decision-making and program planning," must include special considerations when applied to computer-oriented programs. Presents a three-tier classification system for computer programs based on their stage of development and evaluation issues crucial to each…